FOOTAGE has captured multiple minke whales lunge feeding off Scotland’s west coast, a spectacular event rarely seen in UK waters.
The short clip, recorded aboard a Hebrides Cruises vessel, shows the whales accelerating and surging to the surface with mouths wide open to engulf shoals of fish.
This behaviour, known as "lunge feeding", is one of the most dramatic feeding strategies in the natural world, with whales gulping down huge amounts of water and prey in just seconds.
The footage was recorded in The Minch, a marine corridor between the Outer Hebrides and mainland Scotland, with strong tidal flows and mixing currents.
Five fast facts about minke whales in Scotland
- Minke whales are the second smallest of the baleen whales, which have throat grooves that distend when feeding.
- Adults reach 6.9m (males) to 8m (females) in length, with calves born each year and nursed for 4-6 months. Many small whales seen in Scottish waters are thought to be less than a year old.
- Calves are often the most curious, sometimes staying close to vessels as if mistaking them for their mothers.
- They feed on small fish and plankton by filtering water through baleen combs.
- Minke whales migrate between tropical breeding grounds in winter and colder feeding grounds in summer. In the Hebrides, they are typically seen from April to October.
Hebrides Cruises has spotted minke whales on most of its cruises this season and reports all sightings to the Hebridean Whale and Dolphin Trust (HWDT) via the Whale Watch app.
James Fairbairns, skipper at Hebrides Cruises, said: “While minke whales are one of the most regularly seen baleen whale species in The Minch during the summer months, witnessing lunge feeding behaviour is relatively rare.
"We might encounter feeding whales a handful of times in a season, but seeing a clear, sustained lunge feeding event, as in this footage, is a real highlight. This year, there have been a few isolated sightings, but this was one of the most dramatic displays we’ve witnessed.
"Guests were absolutely thrilled – for many, it was their first time seeing a whale in the wild, let alone such close-up feeding behaviour. The excitement on deck was palpable, with cameras clicking, binoculars scanning, and numerous ‘did you see that!’ moments.
"Encounters like this are unforgettable and a reminder of the incredible wildlife right on our doorstep in Scotland.”
Earlier this summer, Hebrides Cruises guests were also treated to a sighting of John Coe, the UK’s most famous killer whale, near the Isle of Mull.
Later this month, Hebrides Cruises’ second ‘In Search of Giants’ expedition cruise departs from Oban. This pioneering 10-night voyage to the former whaling grounds west and north of Scotland sold out within hours for both 2025 and 2026, with bookings now being taken for 2027.
The cruise ventures beyond the Outer Hebrides to the continental shelf-edge west and north of St Kilda.
